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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/24588883">Angelicus</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeverellSlytherin/pseuds/PeverellSlytherin'>PeverellSlytherin</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Thorn By Any Other Name [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>M/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-06-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-06-07</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-04 06:14:59</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Mature</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Graphic Depictions Of Violence</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>3,103</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/24588883</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PeverellSlytherin/pseuds/PeverellSlytherin</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Angelus liked Wesley. He liked the way Wes tried to emulate Angel, so he made him emulate Angelus instead.</p><p>This is an AU where Darla didn't have to die to bring Connor into the world, Jasmine was never born because Cordelia didn't accept the higher power and Wolfram and Hart never gave the LA branch to Angel.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Angel (BtVS)/Wesley Wyndam-Pryce, Angelus/Wesley Wyndam-Pryce</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>A Thorn By Any Other Name [1]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1781680</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. All The Risks Were Calculated</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It all happened so quickly and yet, took so many years. So many years of devotion. Of hero worship. Of trying to be just like him.</p><p>It was all his own fault really. It was his idea to bring Angelus out to play after all. He just didn't really expect to be alive when all was said and done... Well, he wasn't actually alive anymore. Not in any real sense of the word.</p><p>Angel was an idiot. It wasn't news. Angelus wasn't. That should not have been as surprising as it was.</p><p>Angelus was locked in his cage and always guarded by at least one of Angel's lackeys. Angelus liked to play with them. Give them scenarios. None of them liked him at all. Good.</p><p>Only one struck him as worthwhile. Wesley. Poor kid had quite a bit of daddy issues and not a bad amount of anger issues if pushed well enough.</p><p>It didn't take much to convince them all that his soul was back where it belonged. It was true. It just belonged very far away from him and not where the others thought it did. Not his fault really. They should have been more careful.</p><p>He went after them just as he went after the others in Sunnydale. He only turned one. He had more fun than he did in a long while. The new kid was a terrifying sight to behold.</p><p>Angelus didn't waste time with training this one. He was soon known to all as Angelicus. He was strong enough to hold his own, but not stronger than Angelus. He was more intelligent than Angelus, but still deferred to him. He was Angelicus' Sire after all.</p><p>Unlike Angelus though, he wasn't interested in hurting known associates. He wanted war, chaos. Together they razed towns, broke small cities. They looked to be unstoppable.</p><p>They split ways for a while when the slayers started tracking them. Unknown to Angelicus at the time, Angel was souled again.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Calculated With Precision</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was all so easy. So easy to create a space that he could fully insert himself in as if he was there all along.</p><p>Bribing a real estate agent with immortality and killing off the owner of a decently sized house went as smoothly as Swiss chocolate on a connosseurs tongue.</p><p>Of course, he didn't actually turn the real estate agent afterwards. That would have been dumb. No, that secret went with the little worm to the grave.</p><p>It was fun though to redecorate the place. He had grown accustomed to weapons all around him. Of course, now he could get whichever ones he wanted for his private collection. No amount of heat-seeking alarms or body guards could stop him.</p><p>He started with one he always loved, Ba Gua Yuan Yang Yue - also known as Deerhorn knives. There was one for each hand and the pair he took (stole) were a set, rumor had, that was one of the pairs a Chinese assassin had used against a nest of Vampires that killed her family. It was the original 3-sided instead of current 4-sided. The eye of the duck was said to house a Demon's tears.</p><p>The story went that the killing of the woman's family was so brutal that another demon had openly wept at the sight she showed the demon while looking for answers. It later turned out that she was a potential. She died before she could become a true Vampire Slayer by name.</p><p>Another was the Khopesh found by the Council in the side of an Egyptian located in an unmarked grave. When the watcher pulled it out, it set loose a Deevak Demon. Three watchers and a slayer was eventually lost to it before it was completely slain.</p><p>The blade had become infused with both demon and slayer blood. It could kill just about anything not immortal, even Angelicus himself. Well, so could the particular Deerhorn knives he had, he guessed. It wasn't exactly tested on 'live specimens'.</p><p>He had to admire his 'pantry' too. It was filled with blood, organized into blood groups of course, of all his victims he played with when he was bored. It was fair to say that he was set for a very long time should anything, or anyone, come to pass. Most surprising was the lone row of pigs blood. One never did know when it could come in handy, after all.</p><p>His study was as organized and clean as the rest of his home. Rare volumes stood on the floor-to-ceiling shelves. He had made sure to raid all places that would still have The Councils rarest texts.</p><p>He was also able to damage-proof all his relics and books as he had continued to practice his magics well after his undeath.</p><p>It was a fun, but at the same time, boring existence. He longed for the chaos and terror of war. Every fibre of his being buzzing for a taste of revolution.</p><p>It was safe to say Angelicus was over domestication for a while.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. I Swear Calculation Was Involved</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>It was not easy to find her, nor the rest of the newest Council, but he managed eventually. She was the latest strength of the group. After all the slayers were activated at the same time, they had started peaking at different times. Every year it seemed like their powers shifted a bit amongst their ranks. It was time to have some fun.</p><p>Angelicus started scouting them during their patrols. They would be hard-pressed to miss him in their proximity, but they could never find him.</p><p>Faith and Buffy started patrolling with them too. They were told of his presence, but they could not say who it was. It was fun to see them sweat. Fun to see the hidden fear rearing up in their eyes for the predator they could not see.</p><p>After a while, he began getting steadily impatient with their pack mentality and went searching out Giles instead. Ah, yes. He was much more fun to track especially when Buffy realised the predator changed its mark.</p><p>Of course, Giles thought he was safe in his own home. Why wouldn't he be? Angelicus scoffed and changed back into Wes.</p><p>He hadn't seen Giles since last time he was in Sunnydale. The odd phone call did little for their relationship.</p><p>He had only knocked twice when the door opened to Giles with a cross in his hand. Wes raised an eyebrow at it, long since being as desensitised to it as a Vampire can get. "Should I even bother to remark how rude that is?" Giles flushed, whether in embarrassment or anger, Wes didn't know.</p><p>"Wesley," he stated in a clipped tone and opened the door further. Wes' eyebrow twitched. He knew he couldn't enter unless Giles welcomed him in.</p><p>If Giles were to realise he had changed though, he'd have more to worry about than a cross. "I didn't think I'd live long enough to see you think me a Vampire, Mr Giles. I thought you saw me as too weak for that to ever be a problem."</p><p>Giles frowned suspiciously, "and why, pray tell, have you come all this way to take offense at everything I do?" Wes shrugged with a smiled tugging at his lips, "I wanted to see if the new Council was any better or if they were still as bigoted as always. Especially with you at the helm."</p><p>Giles gave an irritated sigh, "look, either come in or freeze your arse off outside. I didn't expect you'd be interested in the Council any longer."</p><p>Wes smirked. He didn't need to be told twice. He entered with a sardonic smile, "There definitely is quite a bit of history, I agree."</p><p>Giles grunted, "Tea?" Wes shook his head, "Lost the taste for it a while ago." Giles raised an eyebrow. An Englishman doesn't just 'lose his taste' for tea. "What are you here for exactly? And don't tell me it's Council related. We both know that's not true."</p><p>Wes had to chuckle. Leave it to Giles to get right down to business. Ah well, "You're correct, of course. I could not care less about the Council if I tried. I was, well, bored and decided to see if you really were as interesting as Angelus had thought you were."</p><p>Giles had slowly been edging towards his weapon section while Wes was speaking, but stopped when he heard Angelus' name. "Angelus? Why do you care about Angelus... What do you mean bored?"</p>
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<a name="section0004"><h2>4. And It Was All Going So Well</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Wes had been looking at Giles' book titles, "Oh, that's right, you don't know," Wes shifted back into Angelicus. "Angelus has a new brother," Angelicus turned to face Giles who had grabbed a sword and a stake.</p><p>Wes chuckled, "one of that will actually do damage... The other, not so much. Don't worry, I won't hurt you. Much."</p><p>Neither moved. "Do you have a new name then, Wesley? Something snobby, I'm sure."</p><p>Angelicus snorted, "I didn't pick it. Darla did. I think she was missing Angelus."</p><p>Giles didn't look as amused as Wes did. "Angelicus... And it's Wes. I don't go by Wesley anymore."</p><p>Giles scoffed, "I do apologize if I don't care. Angelicus huh? I should have known. You always did try to emulate him in everything. Why would this be different?"</p><p>Angelicus glared, "Like I said, I didn't choose it. And yet, it's still a better name than Rupert." He had started moving around Giles in a circle.</p><p>Both considered each other for a moment, neither wanting to lose the advantage by striking first. Giles managed to maneuver out of the circle and Angelicus picked up a sword.</p><p>"Why don't we have a sparring match, for old times sake. If you win, I'll leave. If not, well..." Giles readied his sword in front of him, "Or I could just stake you where you stand. I would have nothing to gain from letting you just walk out."</p><p>Angelicus had morphed back into Wes, "Nothing? Are you sure? Not reputation, not courage, not even poor Buffy? Imagine her face if she found your pieces every week in the mail. Sent in two's I'd imagine. One by one would just take too long."</p><p>Giles lunged at Wes who moved smoothly out of the way. Both started to party blows with the occasional attempt at staking by Giles. It just seemed to further amuse Wes.</p><p>"Amazing, isn't it, how nimble the body seems to get after death. I can finally show off all I've studied with a body that fully moves with my mind."</p><p>Giles grunted, "All that and you're still going to lose!" Wes tutted and ripped the stake out of Giles' hand. Wes had Giles pinned to the floor a little while after. "Pity. I remember you being better." Wes knocked Giles out and tied him to a chair.</p>
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<a name="section0005"><h2>5. So So Well</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Giles woke up with quite a bit of water to the face. He sputtered and tried to move until he realised what had happened. He looked up at Wes angrily, "What do you want?"</p><p>Wes raised a bemused eyebrow, "Did you get knocked on your head one too many times? I told you I wanted to have some fun."</p><p>"Fun includes me strapped to a chair with you doing what? I was in this same situation with Angelus and something tells me he was better at torture than you Wesley."</p><p>Wes growled, "One, it's Wes. Two, there are many different forms of torture." He relaxed and leaned back a bit, "You know, I was in this same position with Faith too. She seemed to like the basics. Hot, Cold, Sharp, Blunt and Loud if I recall correctly. Don't fret though, it's not exactly you I'm after to torture."</p><p>Giles tried freeing his hands all the while Wes was talking, but it seemed no use. They were done up well. "Who then? Buffy? She'll gut you like a fish."</p><p>Wes laughed, "Not if you're at stake. Plus, I really do mean when I say I'm bored. I have so much time and it's all so droll. All the humans doing all the same things all the time. I hate it. It's all just so easy. Stalk, play, kill. After a while, the screams start sounding the same too. To tell you the honest truth, I hate noise. They're all so shrill. Of course, cutting out vocal cords are only amusing for so long."</p><p>By the end of it, Giles was looking decidedly paler than he normally did. "What do you plan to do?" Wes shrugged, "I want Angelus back. You people souled him, you can unsoul him too." Giles frowned, "All this for Angelus."</p><p>Wes glared at him, "Always. It used to be all for Angel, but the ponce hardly even noticed. Angelus is much better. Much more fun."</p><p>Giles nodded, "Are you going to call Buffy then?" He scoffed, "I'm not daft, just undead. No, I'm taking you to my place and send Buffy a note through her favourite demon bar. She gives me Angelus, she can have you."</p><p>Giles stiffened, "Just like that? No torture needed, no bloodshed?" Wes smirked in Giles' face, "Like I said, not daft. Angelus has a bit of a spot for you. You're his. Whatever I do to you, he'll do to me. He wants sole ownership, so he has it."</p><p>Giles started to struggle again. Wes just continued snooping through the house. When it finally became dark enough to move out again, he knocked Giles out and took him to Wes' home.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0006"><h2>6. But Man, Am I Bad At Math</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>When Giles woke up, he was given the house tour and strapped down onto a bed. "It's a real pity Angelus is so enamored with you. I'd have liked to show you the differences between us," he purred in Giles' ear. "I always did fancy you much more than miss Chase back then."</p><p>Giles scoffed, "You think that'll be enough to fluster me? I would tell you to get bent, but we both know that's a moot point. How many nights did you go pining for Angel before you realised it would never be?"</p><p>Wes pulled back angrily, "You know nothing." He looked like he was going to continue, but stormed out instead. The front door slammed closed a little bit later. Try as Giles might to get out, the ropes held.</p><p>As soon as Buffy received the message, she was on the phone with Angel. He swore and promised to get there as soon as possible. It took two days, but when he arrived, they decided to pull the same stunt they did on Faith all those years prior. If the formula's not broken, don't fix it, right?</p><p>It took two days further of cat and mouse to come to an agreement. All the while, Wes made sure Giles didn't dehydrate or starve to death. Giles was getting a bit sick of hearing how much effort it took humans to keep their bodies from dying in the first place.</p><p>Buffy, Faith, Angel and Willow banded together and finally resouled Wes again. It seemed to take more effort to soul Angelicus than it did Angelus. Deep down, it actually shocked everyone involved. Well, everyone except Wes. It was a tense affair to put it mildly.</p><p>Wes wasn't as brooding as Angel. He was just a tad bit darker. Angel had received a type of super strength when he was turned the first time. It was what he prized most back then. Wes received eidetic memory.</p><p>Angel investigations became even better with the two of them closer than ever. Well, it did take Wes nearly bashing Angel's brains in for him to realise Wes wasn't bothered about the change. He didn't resent him. He was not going to be one more topic for Angel to brood over.</p><p>Wes did have some vamping out issues during fights in the beginning which scared a few clients, but overall, had a good grasp on his emotions again.</p><p>Both of them felt calmer the nearer they were to the other. It didn't take long for Wes to find himself staying with Angel permanently. Everyone seemed more relaxed when they noticed the shift of living arrangements. It seemed to calm the atmosphere of the hotel.</p><p>Connor even started calming down when he saw them together. He answered the unspoked question of why when he told Cordelia that he could sense they were at peace the closer they were to each other physically. It was like two black holes had just centered each other by accident and no one was going to prod it in case it unlatched again.</p><p>No one, no one at all, was surprised when they found out the relationship turned sexual. They did, however, get souled again properly with Spike's insistence. The mumbled, "safe sex is a thing, you know" made almost everyone's lips twitch into small smiles. Wes agreed. Angel scoffed... and was dragged along by his ear by Cordelia.</p><p>It was brutal and difficult to watch, but both received their souls back properly and didn't need the gypsy curse anymore.</p><p>Buffy was torn. She was happy Angel wouldn't lose his soul again, but sad because she knew things had changed. Wes and Angel just felt right.</p><p>Faith was smirking at them, but was also a bit torn. She was starting to fall for Wesley before he was changed. She was almost smitten with Wes. She would never tell.</p><p>Fred and Gunn were skittish in the beginning. They were the main ones to cut and run the first time they heard of Angelicus, and didn't want any bad blood. Wes broke the ice with Chinese takeout and a Disney movie. Fred loved the movie, Gunn punched Wes for making him watch Dumbo. Laughter was had by all.</p><p>It was a muted sort of existence. You could touch and be touched, but most of the feel of things were gone. When the world was silent, the others were not. Vampires, it turned out, could always sense other vampires. They were almost a type of hive mind.</p><p>Food had close to no taste except the heavier foods, like peanut butter or canned cheese. Those were the worst foods to Wes' palate.</p><p>Emotions too were a bit jaded. You could feel happiness, but it was close to impossible to feel bliss when you weren't hunting. You could feel sad, but not gut wrenching dispair. You could be angry, very angry, but never the boiling simmer of anger that felt like it could pop a vein.</p><p>He didn't think he would make it out alive if Angelus ever came for him and he didn't, not really. Even Angelicus knew that.</p>
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